Revelation 3:1–6

3:1 The letter is addressed to “the angel of the church in Sardis,” just as each letter is addressed to the angel of the respective church (cf. Rev. 2:1). As in every letter, an element of the vision of Christ from chapter 1 is applied to the church. Here Jesus is described as the one who has the “seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” The “seven spirits of God” refers to the Holy Spirit (cf. comment on 1:4) and signifies his perfection. Why does Jesus emphasize here that he has the Spirit? It is because of the deadness of the church in Sardis. The church needed the power and fullness of the Spirit to become alive again, and Jesus can grant the Spirit to the church in Sardis. It is more difficult to discern the significance of Jesus’ possessing the seven stars, representing the angels of the churches. Perhaps Jesus is saying that he is sovereign over every aspect of the life of the churches, including their angels.

When Jesus addresses the state of the church and says he knows its works, we expect a commendation, given the pattern of the earlier letters (2:2, 19; cf. 2:9, 13). But here there is a sudden change: Jesus knows their works, and those works are completely inadequate. They had a reputation for spiritual life and vitality, but the reputation was undeserved. They were spiritually dead and needed a fresh infusion from the Holy Spirit.

3:2 The church at Sardis had become drowsy spiritually, so Jesus sounds the alarm and calls them to wake up. The call to wake up (grēgoreō) is used commonly to call believers to alertness (e.g., Mark 13:34, 35, 37; 14:38; Acts 20:31; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Thess. 5:6, 10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 16:15). The church must not only awaken, but must also “strengthen what remains”—showing as hyperbolic the language in verse 1 of the church being dead. “Found” has a judicial sense, reflecting their standing before God. The church was declining and heading toward disaster, but some good remained (cf. also v. 4); the church was near death, but it was not dead yet. Hence, the good that remained needed to be stabilized and strengthened. Their works needed to be completed or “perfected” (NRSV) before God, becoming truly pleasing to him.

3:3 The Sardisian church must remember their initial acceptance of the gospel—what they received and heard at the beginning. They must heed that word and turn from evil and back to God. The directive is similar to the words given to the Ephesian church, which was also enjoined to remember and repent. If the church didn’t awake from its spiritual slumber and revive its work, Jesus would come like a thief. Thieves, as the text says, don’t come at an appointed time but rely on the element of surprise. Here we have a reminder of Sardis’s history. The city believed it was impregnable because of its cliffs and walls, but twice the city was taken: by Cyrus II in 547/546 BC and by Antiochus III in 214 BC. The church now faced a similar danger because it was “nodding off” instead of remaining awake. The image of Jesus coming like a thief is common in the NT (Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15). Jesus may be referring to the second coming, or to a less visible coming, one in which the lampstand of the church at Sardis would be removed, anticipating the final judgment.

3:4 The deterioration in the Sardisian church wasn’t total, for there were still a few who were faithful. There was a remnant that hadn’t defiled its garments. Sardis was famous for its wool production, making beautiful garments for consumers. Filthy garments picture, in a colorful way, the evil staining the lives of the wicked (cf. Zech. 3:3–4), and “white” garments describe the righteous (Rev. 3:18; cf. 6:11; 7:9, 13–14). The vindication of the righteous will be evident, for they will enjoy fellowship with Jesus in their white garments. They are “worthy” to walk with Jesus because of their godly lives. Certainly the righteousness of believers cannot be the foundation of one’s relationship with God, since all are sinners and need to be liberated and cleansed from sin (cf. 1:5; 7:14). Yet those who are forgiven are called to live a new life, and their righteous works are evidence they are worthy to enjoy fellowship with Jesus forever.

3:5 The significance of “white garments” is clarified and tied to the call to “conquer.” The summons to conquer is found in all seven letters and functions as a challenge and an invitation. Here those who overcome and conquer are promised white garments. As we saw in the previous verse, white garments are given to those who are righteous, who enjoy fellowship with Jesus Christ. This is another way of saying that the one who conquers will be granted eternal life. Such an interpretation fits the reward promised to those who conquer in each of the seven letters. It also accords with the next two descriptions of the reward. Those who conquer and have white garments will never be erased from the book of life. The “book of life” is used often in Revelation as the register of those who enjoy eternal life (13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; cf. also Phil. 4:3). Moses asked to be erased from God’s book, for God to take his life in order to spare Israel (Ex. 32:32–33)—Moses had physical life in mind, but it is quite apparent that eternal life is in view in Revelation. Those who conquer and overcome evil will never be erased from life with God and Christ. Another way of stating the same truth is that Jesus Christ will confess before his Father and the angels the names of the faithful. Jesus will publicly vindicate the overcomers and will say that they are his, giving them warrant to enter the holy city, the new Jerusalem. The saying here stands in contrast to the threat that those who deny Jesus will be denied by him before the Father (Matt. 10:33). Paul picks up on this same saying and declares, “If we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12). Only the overcomers will receive a heavenly reward.

3:6 The letter closes with the same words we find in the other seven letters. The words of the risen Christ in the letter, the words of the one who has the Spirit of God (3:1), are the words of the Spirit also. They are directed not just to the church of Sardis but to all the churches, and must be heeded with urgency.